Letters from Scarlett and SnakeEyes
by AF Iron 135
Summary: Continuation after "A Fire Within". Scarlett and Snake-Eyes are far apart and still friends, but try to stay in touch...
1. Chapter 1

The "Letters Between Snake-Eyes and Scarlett" take place right after my Alternate Universe story "A Fire Within" and remain within the same AU.

Not only was I able to retain our wonderful editor TiamatV one last time for each and every one of these letters, it should be known that white *I* wrote the letters that Snake-Eyes wrote, *she* wrote the letters that Scarlett wrote. Interesting concept, don't you think? We wrote them quite a while ago, and I believe the letters were actually HER idea in the first place. So, as always, please send a note of thanks to TiamatV for making this happen!! Maybe you can even talk her into editing the sequel I wrote to "A Fire Within" if you ask her real nice?? All joking aside, I hope you enjoy the letters...

**-01- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Dear S,

How are you?

Okay, you're probably wondering how I got your address. Didn't I tell you I was good with computers? It wasn't really hard. I copied the profile number off your phone's SIM card (you really shouldn't have left your phone out like that during dinner.) Then I hacked into your cellphone network, and triangulated the signal down to the address...

...just kidding. Obviously. I asked Stalker before I left your home base, and he gave me the routing address for your team's mail.

You know, that wonderful dinner with you was probably the last peaceful moment I've had in weeks? My life's going through a lot of changes, right now--I'm going to fight one last tournament, and then... I think I'm going to go back to school. Finally.

I don't know if you'll write back, and if you don't... well, you don't. I know you probably figured you'd whoosh off into the sky, like the last time, but... sorry, superhero, this Georgia girl's not letting you vanish again if she can help it!

I just wanted to let you know that I thought of you today, and I hope you're doing well. (And that you're actually going to your physical therapy for your shoulder. You ARE, right?) No more jumping out of helicopters without a parachute, okay?

Hugs,  
Shana


	2. Chapter 2

**-02- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Dear Shana,

Actually, I had planned on using my superhero powers to turn invisible and sneak out of Georgia. Capes honestly aren't my style; it'd probably get caught on something as I whooshed into the sky anyway. That'd be awkward.

It was good hearing from you. Honestly, you're right: I was very surprised (a good surprise, of course) that you wrote me. Guess where I am writing to you from? A small hint: somewhere far away from Atlanta, Georgia, and on the other side of the world. I'll give you three guesses. Don't bother checking the postmark either; by the time this letter makes its way to a mailbox, it'll be far from my hands.

I probably shouldn't tease you with my location. It's really neither mysterious nor exciting. The fact, this job is mostly over-glorified. Back on my first tour in the sandbox, I vividly remember

Many people who see a United States soldier often make the mistake of thinking their lives are filled with magnificence and grandeur, and Hollywood has time and again made the mistake of portraying the horrors of war as something easy to rebound from. Someone dies, and a week later everyone is happy and playing volleyball with their t-shirts off. I never understood that.

Then again, I suppose you, of all people, probably know all this. You've been there, and your life has no more been Hollywood than mine. I will get off my soapbox. Sorry for being a downer. I know you didn't mention it, but… are you okay?

On a happier note, how did your tournament go? I imagine by the time you get this, you will have already taken the first-place trophy back home to live with all your other trophies. So let me say congratulations on your win! With that behind you, I guess you're getting ready to move into your college, at this point?

Where did you decide to go? I really hope you're still thinking of Yale. I'm sure they still have that scholarship with your name on it. You deserve it. You deserve the best life… the best education, the best everything. You've been through a lot, Shana, and you have one of the strongest hearts of anyone that I know. "Deserve" isn't even a strong enough word. I don't say that lightly, either.

Physical therapy for my shoulder, you ask? Well… this was a last minute mission and they needed me, so I had barely started it, but I'll look into it when I get back Stateside.

I can see you frowning already. Sorry! The job may be over-glorified, but the work is never done. I'll be fine. You worry about yourself—going to college can be a big change, especially after having been out of school for awhile. But knowing you, you're not even worried, are you?

Oh, and good news: this time, it was a plane, not a helicopter I jumped out of… and I did decide to use a parachute, kiddo. Just for you.

S


	3. Chapter 3

**-03- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Dear S,

Oh, thanks, pal, now you've got me trying to imagine you with a cape. The image… you remember how I crossed my eyes at those math equations? Yeah. It's hurting my brain, a little.

Three guesses… hmmm… postmarked from China? Looking at a map, and from what I've been reading about in the news… I'd have to say North Korea, Laos, or the southern Philippines. Am I getting warmer? More importantly, are you safe?

Yes, I realize it's a silly question. You might tell me not to worry, but just as you said: I've seen what you do. Obviously, no-one else can do your job for you, and most people will never, ever know what you and your people do for them every day. But I know. I don't know if that's worth what you put yourself through, but… I'm rooting for you guys, and thinking of you? Even if no-one else cares, I do. But you're right. War is not anything like the movies, and it's not something anyone should be playing volleyball after.

(Though, come to think, you'd be amazing as a movie stuntman. I mean… wow. And I bet you're _amazing_ at volleyball.)

Seriously… I'm okay, I think. I don't know. There's days when I look around me, and see the things that I'm doing here, and everything I did and saw when I was with you just doesn't feel real. And then there's been days when my trainer yells, "Shana! Focus! This is for serious, now!" and kicking a training pad seemed, well, like doodling in class. Something pointless you do to get away from what you should be doing. You know? I mean… well… maybe you don't, your life isn't something you can walk away from. I wouldn't expect that of you. But aren't there ever calm moments where you want to relax and you just… can't?

Short version of the story: yes, I'm okay. I'm dealing. TKD is very therapeutic for that. Pads don't kick back, but people do… just ask my ribs.

I did call up Yale, and they told me that they'd just been about to contact me, actually. They wanted to tell me that they're still holding a place for me in their freshman class. My dad's a bit heartbroken I'm going to be leaving home, finally, but I think he's pretty proud, too. And… after all that's happened, I don't really know that I could just go back to being my dad's pretty baby girl. (And I definitely don't think I can, um, help with the finances anymore. Yikes.)

But now you're going to have to tell me, sneaky one, how you even know about my scholarship—considering I'm pretty sure I didn't tell you about it!

As to how I did at my tournament, well… here's a picture! I guess I probably look a little different than in the other picture you have of me, huh? It's just medals, this time, not trophies, but I got silver in black-belt pumsae and gold in all-around gyeorugi. (Um, do you do taekwondo at all? That's 'forms' and 'sparring.')

Oh… you decided to use a parachute, did you, wise guy? I swear, you're going to give me a heart attack before I'm even twenty… so are you back home? And are you going to do physical therapy just for me, too, maybe? I want you back in top physical form for that sparring match you still owe me…

Love,

Shana


	4. Chapter 4

**-04- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Shana,

I had every intention of writing you back earlier. I know it's been awhile—I want to say I'll be able to be a better correspondent now that I'm back at The Pit, but… you've seen how it is, around here. How much warning time were you given before that last mission? Thirty minutes? Unfortunately, that's standard, and I don't want to get your hopes up.

Things are still the same, around here. Stalker finally got some leave time and went on a long-overdue vacation, with his family. No one works harder—or dedicates himself more to the team—than that man. Low-Light has been recovering well, believe it or not. Everyone thought he was a goner after that fight, but he's fighting back. Tough as nails; I'd do any mission by his side, any day. Spirit… I haven't seen him since you last did. You know how it goes; every time someone makes it back home, it seems like someone else has just left. Overlapping. It sometimes goes on for years. I could go on, but the important thing is that no-one else has made it on the Fallen Warrior plaque.

They all ask about you. Roadblock says to remind you about the recipe?

Strange, that you asked about calm moments. I was thinking about that earlier. Yes, there are times when I truly desire moments of inner peace—moments when the serenity runs so deep there's almost a purity to it. They can be hard to find anywhere—just because nothing's happening doesn't mean that it's easy to be calm inside. You can't step outside of your own life, your experiences, any more than I can, Shana. And it sounds like that's what you want to do. Sometimes, all we can do is step physically away from what we're doing—even I need to do that sometimes.

I really do have a cabin up in the mountains, right by a quiet little stream that is so soothing to listen to. It's like listening to the sound of meditation—all you have to do is close your eyes. I don't get up there as often as I like, and am overdue for it. Other than my time in Japan... well, part of that time, I can't think of a more peaceful place in the world than my cabin.

Honestly, though, I know that taking a step away isn't something you can do right now. Especially with the radical changes you are facing in your life at this very moment. Picking up and leaving a place so familiar such as your home, your neighborhood, your own home town even... it's not always easy. It shouldn't be, at least. Remember, though, you can always go back to it to visit, at least; to rekindle those memories.

Someday it won't be like that; someday you won't be able to go back. Trust me on this. Enjoy it for now, cherish those memories, and don't ever neglect those in your life that you care about... your father, your brothers... yes, even that sister of yours! They won't always be around, so remember, nothing they ever do with you should be taken lightly or considered trivial. Go back and visit them whenever you have a chance. I know that sounds like a Hallmark card, but… things sometimes happen, and that regret is a terrible thing.

But you're tough, and you're smart, and I expect nothing less of you than excellence. I don't ever want to hear about you choosing not to take those chances that can raise you above the pack—you've got too much inner strength to be wasted on mediocrity! I don't know if you believe in destiny, but the future's out there waiting for you, Shana. And I believe, firmly, that you'll be able to balance your family with your schooling, and, in the future, your career. You've got too much heart not to.

I was so excited to read that you are going to Yale! That will be an amazing opportunity for you. (As for how I knew you had that scholarship... well, let's just say that I'm a sneaky S.O.B. and have ways of accomplishing things like that that would just freak you out if you only knew the truth about me...)

Seriously, though, you seem to be doing well for yourself. You look just amazingly happy in that picture, by the way—whose shoulders are you sitting on? Yes, you look different, but some of your best qualities, like your smile, are the ones that seem to have stayed with you. Not everyone is like that.

Speaking of your tournament... silver medal? Who do I need to beat up to get you that gold they stole from you? I'm sure the referees probably thought you'd gotten too many points in sparring, so they decided to penalize you for the angle of your elbow or something in pumsae. (You should see me laughing right now. I did taekwondo, years ago, but I don't miss referees and all those rules.) Shana, I am tremendously proud of you for your accomplishments at the tournament; I'm sure you were absolutely astounding. Thank you again for that picture. Wish I could have been there.

When you get to Yale, don't let your academics push those skills of yours into disuse; it'll be yet another hard thing to balance, but you've worked hard to be as good as you are. And if I find out you're slacking... I _will_ take you on, beat-up shoulder or otherwise. Oh, don't worry, kiddo, I promise I'll go gentle...

S


	5. Chapter 5

**-05- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Dear S,

Hey! That's not fair, you never told me where you were!

Well, I'm leaving home tomorrow, finally. I should be scared.

Who'm I kidding. I'm scared. They tell me the first week is the worst, and that it gets better, but it's not really the first week I'm worried about, it's… I don't know. I always thought of myself as an independent girl, but all of a sudden I wish I were still small enough for my brothers to carry me around like a doll. How do you even balance wanting to make a change in the world with wanting everything to stay just the same in your own life? Right… I know the answer to that. You can't.

Siobhan dropped over to say goodbye to me. Or rather, she dropped over to roll her eyes at me and make faces at my choices and how I'm abandoning Daddy… are you sure I should be nice to this woman? Like I told you before… she's always like this.

Um, let's see… your questions. I included my mom's peach and pecan cobbler recipe for Roadblock—I meant to write it down for him, but it's just been so hectic around here. But he's got to promise to give you a slice! Please give everyone my hellos, okay? Tell them I'm cheering all of you on in my little redheaded way.

And as to whose shoulders I'm sitting on, that's Marco. He and I trained together for just about forever, and I couldn't believe that he came all the way down from Boston to watch my last tournament. I especially couldn't believe it that he just scooped me up in his arms and flung me into the air after the awarding, then plopped me on his shoulders! I mean… who does that? But there it is, captured for posterity. He's such a doofus; he says he'll come in and defend my honor if I ever need anything. Can you see me rolling my eyes?

Oh, please, buster. It didn't bother me that you snuck into my house and you were carrying a five-year-old picture of me around with you, and I'm supposed to be freaked by you knowing about my scholarship? Hmmm… let me guess… you went through my computer? No, that's not even a guess. I know you did.

(Tell Firewall she was a little too thorough about erasing your tracks? My saved cookies and browsing history were gone when I got back; that might be standard in companies and military whatevers, but it's not on most people's home computers.)

S, thank you for the encouragement. You've been through a lot—you've seen a lot—and you work with some of the best, smartest people I've ever met. You saying that you think I can do more, be more… that really means a lot to me. I'll keep your thoughts in mind—about peace, about family. I just need to find my own center and stick with it, you know?

But I need you to be tough on me when I get weak. Don't give me that look, you've seen me crack, and just because it's already happened doesn't mean it won't happen again. I trust that you will tell me what's for, and tell me that I'd better just tough it out and deal with it—and you're probably the only one who will. I'm still my family's baby, and they'll always tell me to come home if the going gets too hard.

I know, not everyone gets to go home, and not everyone has people to go home to. S… I don't know what's happened in your life, but I'm here if you ever want to talk about it. And if you don't, that's okay, too. People can be your center just as much as a place can. You know?

As always, I hope you're safe. I hope you're well. And I hope you're trying to be happy. (And healthy. Or in your case, still in one piece. Do I need to go on about the shoulder? Or whatever other whacks, cracks, lumps or bumps you've picked up?)

Love,

Shana


	6. Chapter 6

**-06- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Dear S,

I hate it here. I just… they warned me it was going to be hard, my first week. I thought I was prepared for that. I was prepared for that. It's physically and mentally difficult, the whole move, everything that comes with it… homesickness, new people? I really was sure that I could deal.

I guess… I wasn't prepared for not feeling like a person anymore. For how lonely this all is. It's not homesickness, it's realizing that people outside really don't care about you. It's very… isolating.

Sorry… I know I'm being weak. Spazzing, really. It's all just me being naïve. I just needed to tough it up, set my chin, and smile and deal. I just… I guess I needed to tell someone.

Shana


	7. Chapter 7

**-07- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Shana,

I'm sorry it's been longer than I meant it to be—this is the first chance I've had to write you in awhile. I just got your two letters and finally was able to read through them both. Where to start?

Well, first of all, it was good hearing from you again. I know I always say that, and know it's so cliché, but sometimes I wonder if each letter you send will be the last. Things happen, people get caught up... you know how it is. I'd understand if you were getting busy.

Let's see... well, let me address our outside issues, which oddly enough seem to involve several random people:

Okay, got the recipes and will get them to Roadblock. I plan on copying the real information down, but may have to change some of the ingredients on him. Or at least triple the amount of sugar. What do you think?

Siobhan. Where do I begin? Maybe I should bite my tongue on this one? No, seriously, the best I can say is, remember, she's your sister. Sisters are precious, even when they act like little brats. Trust me on this one, Shana.

Marco, huh? Sounds like a nice guy, and it's good that you've got someone else watching out for you. Boston's pretty close to New Haven, isn't it? Is he helping you settle in, at all?

As for Firewall... no comment!

But that's not really the important issue, is it? I'm sorry to hear that things have been difficult for you, Shana. You're not being naïve. You're not being weak. You're being human, and away from home, and in a much bigger place than you're accustomed to. How many students are in your class in Yale? 1500, something like that?

I guess it's just ironic, in a way. When I joined the military... your second letter practically reminded me – word for word – of how I felt my first week. I was about your age, and I hated it, too. It was incredibly tough. The hardest part... well, it wasn't just the PT (which happened to be during the rainy season, making it worse), but it was everything; there I was, having lived in the same place for eighteen years, and my entire world had changed. There was no smooth transition. I was suddenly thrust into this crazy, different—radically different—world that _I _had chosen. And I had to adapt. And when I finished _that_, shortly after completing my training, I found myself in the first Gulf War.

I was nineteen, and terrified out of my wits. Surprised? We all start from somewhere, and the starting definitely isn't the easy part of it.

I've never been to college, but I'm willing to bet it's harder, in its own way. You might not be going through the worst PT of your life, but all I had to do was keep my head down and obey orders. I didn't have to get along with people, and make friends, and aim for that valedictorian spot at the same time. It might get even tougher. But I think you'll get more used to it—and, with more experience, you'll become more proficient at getting yourself through those social currents.

But you said your family would want to pull you away from what you are going through right now? No. This is exactly what you need. These are the moments that will build you, and define you. Temper you. But these experiences won't change who you fundamentally are, Shana. Is that what you worry about? You no longer residing in Atlanta doesn't make you any less of a Georgia peach, kiddo.

But you, missy... do not let your confidence waiver. You know what you need to do—you need to hold your chin up and smile. When I tell you that you can do anything, it's not a pep talk. I don't do pep talks. It's simply the truth.

I've seen what's under that beautiful doll exterior of yours, and you're so much more resilient than I think anyone even realizes. Maybe even you. There's no question that you can make it through this. I have all the confidence that you will. (And if someone is picking on you… I'm not condoning violence, but you have three gold stripes on your black belt for a reason. Remember that.)

Hang in there, Shana. I may not always be here when your letters get in, but even if it takes weeks… I'll always write back.

S


	8. Chapter 8

**-08- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Dear S,

Darn it, I told myself I was going to stop leaning on you, and there I went again! Stupid teenager angst (hey, I can only use that excuse for one more year, so I'm milking it for all I can.) You should have rolled your eyes at me, S, not given me a, um, non-pep-talk!

So… first things first.

You sure can change the recipes you're giving Roadblock, but you get to stand in his way when he's charging at me with a ladle!

Sisters. I guess… I don't know. I think I love her, and then she does something horrible and underhanded. Is that how sisters behave? This shouldn't bother me now that I'm further away from her, but it still does. Sounds like you're speaking from experience, though?

No, Marco's not around—he's got a busy college life. But he writes me letters, just like you do?

And Firewall… well, tell her hi for me. And tell her my brothers use my computer sometimes, even though I've tried to make them stop. If she knows anything about brothers, she'll know what I mean.

I think things are better, now. It's been… a month already, I guess? Part of it was that I'd gotten so used to being on my own schedule, on my own time, and here, well... nothing's really under my control anymore, is it? But I think I'm settling in, and I'm kind of surprised to find that I am making friends. My roommate's this really fun girl—Melinda. S, she is such a character. I wish you could see her. I bet she's even taller than you are, and a redhead, like me… well, except she's got a crew cut! Everyone calls her "Big Red." This, of course, makes me "Little Red," which I don't like much. But that's what happens when I have an Amazon for a roommate.

I guess you can say she picked on me, a bit, at first. And I guess you could say I showed her the stripes on my belt. We get along much better, now. At least she's not as bad as Siobhan.

I'm just kidding. Well, sort of. Mel and I actually are friends, now, it just took awhile. But I still wouldn't want to arm-wrestle with her!

The guys I'm with are a lot easier to deal with… I think I'm just used to being around men more, you know? And now that I'm a little more settled in, I've been spending more time just, well, really learning. I don't know if my teachers like me, but I'm trying, I really am. And I am learning I think faster and better than I ever have in all my life. My schedule's gotten pretty crazy, and I'll always write you back, but I don't know how long my letters are going to be!

Is this a good fit for me? I don't know that, quite yet, but I think I've figured out that it's definitely worth trying to find out.

Don't worry, I've definitely been keeping up with the physical stuff as well as the mental. (Wouldn't want my gold stripes to… expire, or something!) But speaking of physical, how are things going over there? I've been talking so much about what's going on with me that I haven't even asked what's happening on your side? I know you can't talk about it a lot, but… whatever you feel you can tell me. I'd love to hear about it, and what's going on with you.

(Don't think I haven't noticed you've been avoiding the question. One word: shoulder?)

But… S? Thanks for being there. Thanks for boosting me up. I only hope you'll let me do the same for you, one day.

Love,

Shana


	9. Chapter 9

**-09- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Shana,

Sorry for taking so long to write back; things have been...

Busy.

Let me explain. Well, there is good news: the shoulder you keep asking about is 100% better. But there's no easy way to tell anyone bad news, so let me get right to it. We got into another scrape. It was ugly. I won't go into details, and as you can probably guess, I can't go into details, but I can at least tell you that no one on our team died; no more names to add to the Fallen Warrior memorial.

What I can tell you is we got the mission accomplished, but me and Grand Slam ended up a little worse for wear. Needless to say, I'm enjoying Lifeline's tender loving care (again) and he tells me I'm going to have another set of scars to add to my collection after I get out of here. I don't want you to think it's that bad of an injury though: I'm recovering and doing better each day. If it were up to me, I'd walk out of the hospital right now, but as Lifeline says—he doesn't tell me how to do my job, so I don't get to tell him how to do his. Really, though, it's not so bad—other than the fact I'm going stir-crazy. At least there haven't been any missions that have come up that require my skills, since they stuck me here.

No, I'm not going to tell you how long I've been in the hospital.

Yes, I can practically hear you howling your outrage as I write this, so I'm going to change the subject. You'd be howling louder if you could see me smiling at the thought, I'm sure. Not that many people have that effect on me, but somehow, you do.

That's not a bad thing, necessarily.

Now that the ugly stuff is out of the way, tell me how your schooling is going? I imagine you're full into the habit of it all by now – late night cram sessions before the big midterm, partying on the weekends, and... well, whatever else college girls do.

Even if you're still settling in, I'm sure things have been going fine; I know you're trying your hardest. (It's funny, but I can't even imagine you not?) Beyond that, it doesn't really matter what your teachers think of you, nor your Amazonian roommate, nor any of the others. (Though if your Amazon roommate acts like a jerk because she's used to being bigger than everyone, you could introduce her to Roadblock sometime…)

But I bet they like you just fine—right? You always seemed to me like one to quickly make friends, anyway. You might think you've got that tough-girl thick karate skin—and you do—but it doesn't erase the fact that you're a charming Southern belle to the core, underneath it. Oh, yes, I see right through you, kiddo. Trust me, you're memorable. The other day, Clutch asked me how you were doing, and then really casually asked if you had any sisters.

(Considering previous conversations, it's pretty funny, isn't it?)

Well… okay, you asked about my sister. I'm not sure where to begin even. Terri and I were twins, and you know how people always think of twins getting along, and being best friends? Well, we definitely weren't. We fought. All the time. Stupid stuff, sibling stuff—homework and TV and books and her boyfriends and who got to use the car on the weekend. But you know what? It was around my last year in high school that I realized how much I loved her, too. Sure, she yelled at me, and sure, I yelled back (can you even imagine that?) but we drove each other to be… better, I guess. More than we would have if we had been apart. I was fortunate enough to realize that before she was taken from me. If nothing else, we had a good full year of being as close as siblings should be before I left for the military.

So, just so you know where I'm coming from. I can safely say cherish your sister, even when it doesn't seem like you two are on the same side. Hopefully it won't always be that way, but you only get one life to spend with her, so don't blow it – even if _she_ is the one being the jerk.

That must be the morphine talking, darn you. I've just spend the last fifteen minutes debating whether I was going to scrap this letter and start all over or not—there aren't a lot of people in this world who know about me and my sister, Shana. You caught me in a good mood, so I'll send it to you as-is. So anyway, Georgia peach, keep me updated on how you're doing, and keep hitting those books.

S


	10. Chapter 10

**-10- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Dear S,

"Busy?" Only you, S. You know, when most people I know say they're busy, they mean that they've been doing extra practices to make the soccer team, or they've had to fill out a few more piles of paperwork, or they're coming up on end-of-the-year evaluations or something! Not "Oh, I've been busy, and it put me in the hospital!"

Okay, I'm done howling. See, that wasn't so bad, was it? (But don't you think that I didn't notice you didn't tell me what part of you got injured this time, or what it got injured by. You're right, I can't nag you about something if I don't know what it is.)

Me and Siobhan. I don't know. It's not that I can't do anything right, it's that… well, she's almost ten years older than me. Plus I know she'd got used to being the 'baby' of the family, and then I came along. Supposedly she was really excited before I was born, because she was really looking forward to having a little sister.

But you know me, thick karate skin and all. I've pretty much spent most of my young life making the exact opposite choices that she probably would have made in my situation, and we're not a quiet family: she's definitely always let me know it! I guess I want her to like me, and it's really hurtful that I can't do anything right. I guess it's that I've always felt like I was a disappointment to her, and it makes me mad to think that, so… I lash out, too.

No, that's not very fair of me. It's not very grown-up of me. But I've always felt that she's the older sister, the grown-up, and the role-model—why does she get to act like the brat!?

But it's reassuring to hear that you and your sister—Terri?—managed to get things cobbled together… I'm not hopeful about Siobhan, but it's nice to hear. What does she do, now? Do you get the chance to talk with her often?

Everything's fine over here. I'm learning about vector physics (yuck) and meteorology (actually very interesting, but I could do without getting soaked.) Mel's actually a total physics genius, which is very neat, but really, really ironic… our teachers thought so, too! She actually reminds me a lot of Low-Light: just the way he can adjust for things like wind and angle and trajectory without even thinking about it.

Not so much partying—maybe a little, but most of the time I'm just too tired to party. A lot less tired now than I was at the beginning, when I first started, though. And yes, I'm keeping myself in shape still—trust me, working out is a big thing around here. Actually, there are a few other martial artists around, and they've been teaching me a couple of new tricks. Get ready, tough guy, because I will take you on!

How is everyone else doing around there? What has everyone been up to, other than the stuff you can't tell me about?

It's been a whole year, already, S. Can you even believe it?

Love,

Shana


	11. Chapter 11

Ok, this is the last one in the series. Somewhat incomplete, but hopefully down the road I will pick up on this. Even if I don't manage too, I thought the letters so far have turned out ok! So, next for me to publish is the AFW2 series. It's finished, but taking a LOT of time cleaning it up since I lost my editor, and requires a lot more brain cells for me to do than it did my previous editor. Plus its a bigger story, thus more time to quality check. I'm sure my POVs will shift, some sentences won't be smooth, and might even have a few disjointed areas, but trying to clean it up as best as I can.

I hope you enjoyed these letters! Please don't hesitate to send comments or critiques my way, and thank you again for reading.

**-11- LETTERS FROM SNAKE-EYES AND SCARLETT **

Shana,

It was good to get your letter again. You are right; in some ways, time certainly has been flying right on by.

As you know it is rare for me to talk about my past. But, in all honesty, you remind me of Terri in so many ways. In fact it wasn't until your last letter that I thought of her; previous to that it had been such a long time since I had, and I almost feel guilty for it. At least it feels like it's been a long time.

As for Siobhan. She should be honored to have a sister like you. You are far from a disappointment, whether she sees it or not. Period.

Regarding myself, since I know you are so anxious to hear about my injuries, I can tell you they are healing up very well and I plan on getting out of here soon. Don't worry, it's not a "jailbreak", I promise. This time, anyway.

That still doesn't mean that there aren't people out there threatening our freedom, our country, and our way of life, and as you know better than anyone, I can't sit on the sidelines for too long and let evil run its course. The boogieman is out there, and he's real. He's evil. And he wants to hurt as many people as he can. You know I can't sit idly by while the bad guy is plotting and planning, trying to think of ways to strike fear into the hearts of Americans. You know none of us on this team can.

Too intense? Well, just consider it pent up rage and adrenaline from sitting in this hospital bed for a lot longer than I should.

As for that match I owe you, I recommend coming down here after your finals and we'll go at it. I figure this hospital bed will make it a fair match and give you an honest chance to defeat me.

S.

P.S. Just kidding, kiddo


End file.
